I’m participating in the Post A Week 2011 Photo Challenge.  Each week we are given a prompt.  This week’s prompt is “Family.”  I’ve never smiled more while writing a post.  I’ve also never been closer to weeping while writing a post.

This is my “newest” family.  My husband’s father’s side of the family.  We were married in July and Richard’s family came to celebrate with us from Barbados, Jamaica, Canada, Florida, and Baltimore.  I married into a great family.  My grandfather-in-law in the orange shirt front left, and his wife, my grandmother-in-law in the turquoise outfit, were so inspirational.  This is my second “newest” family.  The men and women of the house that I’ve lived in for the last 6 years, until I got married.  These friends have become siblings, I’ve been a bridesmaid and a grooms-maid for two of my housemates.  They’ve sat with me while I cried, laughed at stupid movies late at night, prayed with me and fed me.  Ok, this family has been with me since birth.  This is my mom’s side of the family.  My Grandmother couldn’t make it, and one of my cousins was about to have a family, but this is the family that I’ve hula’d with, made up cheers with, went to camp with, swam across lakes with and sauna’d with.  

This family too has been with me since birth, but was significantly smaller that year.  I was the first born grandchild on my dad’s side of the family, and almost thirty-one years later my grandpa still calls me “numero uno.”  I’m almost certain that this is the only Spanish this 100% Swedish American man knows.  My Grandmother danced to Justin Timberlake “I’m Bringing Sexy Back” at my wedding.